OUR VIEW | Added voice through municipal league idea

The old off-color expression about how everyone has an opinion (and what those can be compared to) seems pertinent to politics more than ever these days. There's a cacophony as online media commentary multiplies and more money than ever floods into the process, which can hinder voters who simply want to honestly assess candidates or openly seek analysis and discussion.

This week, former Bremerton Mayor Cary Bozeman made a suggestion that could become an opportunity to improve our local conversation.

His idea for a municipal league for Kitsap County, an idea that has current roots in Seattle and historically practiced as a check on corruption in politics in the early 20th century. We're not suggesting that Seattle knows best or that our ballots are crawling with scoundrels — but there's a nugget of an idea here that could improve local politics.

A municipal league fills a similar role as organizations like the League of Women Voters, which do not take partisan standpoints but offer voters more understanding of issues, platforms and candidates themselves. Such an organization could open a conversation for voters or leaders — and even candidates, considering our state's Top Two system — that don't fit squarely in a traditional party. It could help parties vet candidates. It could take countywide issues found often in our pages or in occasional forums and rally a community discussion outside of a government forum — think North Kitsap forest preservation, Silverdale incorporation, the future of ferry service.

We live in a country full of opinions, and we say that thankfully. But one more that could add a collaborative, nonpartisan, active and trustworthy opinion to the process — rather than simply more noise — is an idea worth considering.